Pilot

If they had, they would know that:

#1 - JW's don't believe in souls and would never say they would pray for someone.

#2 - The kid's parents would never allow him to be on the track team or in a school club.

#3 - The parents would probably just write a note to the son's teacher asking him to be exempt from reading the objectionable book rather than confronting her or making a scene.

#4 - They don't refer to god as "The Lord" They would use Jehovah. I've never heard a witness refer to themselves as a "man of god."

Sloppy writing and smug characters that think they're the smartest person in the room.

With my schedule already overstuffed with new shows I like PLUS returning favorites, I would rather not risk tipping the whole thing over into chaos with one more, thank you very much. But if I HAD to do it, I'm glad it's with something like LIE TO ME. Especially since an actor as great as Tim Roth doesn't just stroll onto the small screen everyday. For him to risk getting tied up in a series, it's got to be something good, and the premise of LIE TO ME is irresistible.

Roth plays Cal Lightman, the one guy you would probably never want to have as a boss. That's because Cal's specialty is dealing with human behavior, in this case the fine art of lying. Well, make that lie DETECTION. In a fascinating conceit, Lightman and his group study everything from body language, to skin temperature, to something called "micro-expressions" - facial tics and tells that can go by in the blink of an eye, but to the trained observer can reveal everything; from what you had for breakfast on your birthday seven years ago, to what you REALLY think about your spouse. Yep, it's that detailed, that incriminating and that startling.

Like most crime procedural shows, the pilot episode shows Lightman dealing with several cases at once, while also setting up his relationships with the rest of the cast: business partner and resident psychologist Gillian Foster (THE PRACTICE'S Kelli Williams); "radical truth-teller" and assistant Eli Loker (Brendan Hines), who has no filter on his ability to edit his feelings or opinions whatsoever, and newcomer Ria Torres (Monica Raymund), a former TSA agent who has an uncanny natural ability to sniff out prevaricators.

A fascinating concept, indeed, if a lot higher than most TV shows shoot for. But we wouldn't expect any less from the same production company that gives us ulcers every week with '24'. One can only hope that an attempt isn't made to shoehorn LIE TO ME into that same kind of genre. This plays much better to the same kind of audience geared towards something like CBS's THE MENTALIST or USA's popular, long-running MONK. Given the proper amount of room to breathe and episodes that continue to be driven more by characters than by car chases and explosions every ten minutes, this is a show that might actually gain some staying power - a minor miracle these days when shows have about the length of a "micro- expression" to gain an audience.

After 14 years since its first airing I thought I'd give Lie to Me a go seen as its available on Disney+, however the last 14 years haven't been fair to the series as the show feels dated.

Perhaps its unfair to judge an entire show from its pilot, but I need a great pilot to keep me hooked. Whilst I enjoy Tim Roth's acting, the pilot didn't leave me with a desire to watch more, the series simply wasn't for me.

If you're into phycology from an entertainment perspective this show probably will be for you, but if you're looking more for a crime show with more traditional stories you might find yourself getting a little bit bored.

I wasn't expecting to find their applied psychology techniques so fascinating. I already knew a few things about body language and facial expressions but I definitely learned a lot. For example I didn't know a liar kept eye contact so it's natural to look somewhere else when you're thinking about what you want to say. So the episode was very insightful but I found the acting wasn't genuine enough and it was obvious the performers forced their expressions to make us believe in the concept. However using historical photos to assert their arguments was quite convincing.

As for the characters I was gladly surprised by them because for once I think they're well balanced. The leader keeps a distance, his female assistant skills were also well used and the younger mates also contributed to make their team as likable as possible. The protagonist can detect lies because he's a micro expressions experts but he knows that using it is not always appropriate even if he apparently can't control his ability. As for his assistant she's a words worm and knows how to convince someone, by using affirmations for example, but also to analyse what they say. In fact she reminded me of Dune by Frank Herbert but her gift is real, she doesn't magically charm people with her voice. An other character I liked was the guy who always tell the truth. He's not Jim Carrey but definitely someone you can relate to. As for their new female recruit she's gorgeous but I'm not really fond of her for the moment even if her more natural approach could be interesting to follow. It contrasts with the protagonist more rational and mechanical one. Last but not least they made me laugh from time to time so you should instantly fall in love with them.

But even if it has many qualities I also noted a few flaws. First the production quality is average and I suspect some budget cuts because at times it reminded me of shows like Mental where even the lighting has issues. However it's not that bad and even good enough so immersing into their universe shouldn't be a problem. Second I worry that the writers have used all their bright ideas in the pilot to amaze the audience. I'm sure they have kept some bullets for the whole season but the concept has its limit. Third and last I can't help comparing it to Castle and CSI: NY, other procedural shows. The very first minutes you know the format is episodic and I just hate that. They didn't even try to develop a major arc to intrigue us. Right from the beginning they started a new déjà vu investigation. In fact there were two arcs but none of them really interested me. There was nothing original about the story and only the fresh ideas made it entertaining.

For me such a format can only ruin a show because it depends on the quality of its many scripts. I can't imagine how great Lie to Me would be if it had the strong format of shows like Dexter ! One major arc with a serial killer to catch and new investigations from time to time. But if you don't mind its procedural approach then I can only recommend it.

Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) is an expert in facial expressions and body language and works seeking the truth behind the lies of people under investigation of the police and authorities. His assistants are Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) and Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and they have just hired the TSA agent Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) to join their team. Dr. Lightman is presently working in a murder case where a teenager Jehovah witness is accused of killing his teacher. He is simultaneously hired to investigate a congressman that will be accused by the press for having sex with a whore in a brothel.

"Pilot" is a promising episode of the series "Lie to Me". Dr. Cal Lightman is an interesting character capable to identify the truth in what people in general is saying. The conclusion of the show is witty. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Pilot"

Note: On 01 January 2024, I saw this episode again.